More consumers are going online to comparison shop before selecting a new financial institution. A 2014 Google study found that 50% of consumers who used their smartphones and 34% who used a computer or tablet for a local search visited the business the following day.
With the number of brick-and-mortar credit unions increasing and the growing trend of online-only credit unions, your credit union website needs to stand out from the competition. Not all credit union websites are created equally. The best credit union websites have great content and create a satisfying and memorable user experience.
Great Content
In an earlier blog, we shared how to create impactful content and its role in building member relationships. Content involves the written words, the visual elements, multimedia, and all the files used to build your website.
Written content should emphasize solutions to members’ questions and meet their needs. You’ll also want to enhance your content for search engine optimization (SEO). SEO will not only boost your search rankings, but it will also ensure the right members find your credit union website.
Thoughtful design is the other piece of the content puzzle. Design elements include the lines, shapes, space, values, forms, textures, and colors used to create the layout of your website. The layout of your credit union website and the fonts you use visually communicate your brand.
Your website may be the first impression a member has of your credit union, so your web content should present your personality and acumen.
User Experience
Great website content is the foundation of user experience (UX). UX encompasses how the user interacts with the content. The key to outstanding UX is utilizing responsive design, consistency, and simple navigation throughout the site.
Your credit union website should be responsive so your members can conduct business with you wherever they are and on whatever device they’re using. Responsive design automatically reformats your website to fit the screen, creating a parallel experience across devices.
Design consistency makes your content easy to comprehend by visually creating a structural hierarchy. This helps members understand the organization of your credit union website so they can more easily find the information they need.
Organization also plays a role in crafting intuitive navigation. To simplify navigation further, use clearly marked calls to action and descriptive links to drive the member to conversion.
Final Words
CUWebsite™ Services can help your credit union website stand out from the crowd. Once you select one of our templates, you can customize it with your content to fit your brand and create a user experience to attract new members and develop your relationships with existing ones. Plus, when your site is hosted on our secure virtual private servers, your credit union website will be up 99.9% of the time and your members can have confidence that their privacy and personal information are protected. Even if you already have a good website, together, we can make it the best.
